Self-locking slide loop



Dec. 31, 1929. FENTON I I 1,741,619

' SELF LOCKING SLIDE LOOP Filed. June 192'? Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAUL FENTON, OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T SGOVILL MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTL CUT SELF-LOCKING- SLIDE LOOP Application filed June 11,

The object of this invention is to provide a slide loop, which looks itself in any glven adjustment on a suspender or strap; the nvention being particularly applicable to wire button loops commonly used on the suspender ends of overalls. v Ihe invention consists in the addition to ordinary or other loops of the type mentioned, of a swinging member, which is interposed between the suspender or other strap and the upper end of the loop in such way that the swinging member cramps, grips or pinches the suspender or strap against the loop and thus secures the parts in adjusted position, and also in such way that read ustment on the suspender or strap may be readily effected in order to vary the effective length of the suspender or strap, as I will proceed now more fully to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a side elevation and Fig.3 a partial sectional side elevation illustrating one form of the invention, Fig. 3 showing the device in position on the end ofa suspender or strap. Fig. 4 is a front elevation, Fig. 5 a side elevation and Fig. 6 is a partial sectional side elevation illustrating another form of the invention, Fig. 6 showing the device in position on the end of the suspender or strap. Fig. 7 is a front elevation, Fig. 8 is a side elevation, and Fig. 9 is a partial sectional side elevation illustrating another form of the invention, 9 showing the device in position on the end of a suspender 0r strap.

I have shown the device in all of the figures as applied to a well-known form of button loop, such as is shown in the Howe Patent, No. 961,718, granted June 14, 1910, in which the upper portion is a cross bar 1, which is substantially straight and from its ends extend the inturned members 2 which, in turn, have the depending bowed members 3 terminating in laterally extended eyes 4 V in which is pivoted the button-engaging loop 5.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, on the members' 2 is pivoted a swinging member, comprising 192?. Serial No. 198,264.

a straight upper bar 6 having the downturned ends 7 which are provided with eyes 8 engaging the members 2. This swinging member is located on the face of the loop and its bar 6 extends parallel with and slightly above the bar 1.

As shown in Fig. 3, when a'suspender or strap 9 has its end passed beneath the bars 6 and 1 and then returned over the bar 1 and under the bar 6 and then upwardly, any downward pull on the loop will tend to draw the swinging member toward the bar 1 and cramp, grip or pinch the strap between the two in such manner as to prevent any slipping of the suspender or strap when in use.

Obviously the harder the pull on the suspend'er or strap the more firmly is the adjustment secured.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I have shown a modified form of swinging member, which resembles the swinging member of an ordinary tongue-buckle, but which, in this instance, is employed without such tongues. This swinging member has the upper bar 10, and the sides 11, which latter have the inturned horizontal portions 12 which are parallel with the cross bar 1 of the loop, and the downwardly extending portions 13, the ends of which last are bent around the members 2 of, the loop, as shown at 14, so as to be capable of permitting a pivotal movement of the swinging member thereon. The portions 13 project through the space bounded by the cross bar 1 and the members 2, so that the swmglng member may be said to project rear- ,wardly from the front of the loop.

As shown in Fig. 6, the suspender or strap 9 is applied substantially asdescribed with reference to Fig. 3, and the cramping, gripping or pinching is effected in substantially the same way, excepting that the portions 12 contribute as binding means in cooperation with the cross bar 1. 7

As shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the buckle or swinging member is of substantially the same construction as that shown in Figs. 4 to 6, and its parts are similarly designated excepting as presently mentioned, but instead of having its members 13 which correspond in function with the members 13.

project through the space bounded by the cross bar 1 and the members 2 of the loop as in Figs. 4 to 6, this swinging member is arranged wholly on one side of the loop. This results in a more nearly parallel arrangement of the swinging member and the loop than thatshown in the form illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6, but equally efiicient.

As will be observed, the ends 7, in Fig. 1, are connected with members 2 near the outer ends of said members, while in Figs. 4 and 7 the portions 13 and 13' respectively are connected with the members 2 near their inner ends or the center of the loops, and the horizontal portions 12 in Fig. 7 are longer than the corresponding portions in Fig. 1 and the portions 13 are crooked Which will give a greater friction area between the cross bar 1 and the two members 12 and increase the efficiency.

The principal advantages of the three constructions are economy of manufacture, simplicity, great efliciency, and avoidance of points or tongues to secure the adjustments.

Moreover, the device takes the place of the "onventional slide and loop, buckle and loop, combination loop buckle.

Furthermore, the invention has the advantage of the ease and consequently low cost at which the parts may be assembled on the strap.

The cooperation of the swinging member and the looped member in each of the three forms of the invention illustrated, effects a self-locking action with respect to the suspender or strap. The normal pull or strain exerted on an overall suspender or strap tends always to lock the device tighter. Referring to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3, it is to be noted that the normal strain pulling against the swinging member at the top of the loop, presses this member into closer contact with the parallel member of the loop. proper and pinches the material tighter as the force increases. This is true also of the two other forms of the invention herein explained. Referring to the form shown in Figs. 4 to 6, it is noted that as the strain on the strap increases, it has a tendency to pushthe upper portion of the swinging member forward and hold the material tighter. When the members 13 are crossed throughand pierce the plane of the loop, there is a tendency to extend the swinging member rearwardly to the strap and this serves to utilize the principles of leverage most effectively. In the form shown in Figs. 7 to 9 where the members 13" are not crossed through the plane of the loop the holding effect is quite efiicient.

An advantage of having the swinging member extend outside of the rigid member of theloop is that when a severe strain is applied on the suspender or strap it has a tendency to pull the rigid member .or loop this feature permits the use of lighter material in both the rigid memberor loopan'd the swinging member, and consequently effects the cheapening of the manufacturing costs.

The swinging member is in effect an auxiliary member and acts as a fulcrum utilizing the suspender or strap to transmit the force (the pull) on the suspender or strap as a lever into friction between the two members.

The cramping, gripping or pinching isaccomplished between the inside parallel mem-a ber of the swinging part and the topor rigid bar 1 of the loop. In addition to this inside parallel gripping surface of the swinging member, there is an outside member which runs parallel to the inside member and at right angles to the direction of the strap, and the whole swinging member is constructed so that this outside parallel member acts as a'fulcrum, transmitting the forcesof the "strap as a lever to the gripping surface, and.

this outside member being considerably ofiset from the gripping surface acting" as a fulcrum, transmits this force most effectively.

Variations in details of construction and the uses to which the device may be put, are permissible within the principle of the invention and the claims following.

l/Vhat I claim is 1. A'self-locking slide loop, comprising a loop having a cross bar at the top and sub-1 stantially parallel adjacent bars, and a swinging member pivoted to said adjacent bars and extending outside of and parallel with the cross bar and having an upper bar parallel with the cross bar of the loop and cooperating with the cross bar to cramp, grip or pinch a suspender or strap between them when the end of the suspender or strap has been looped about the cross bar and the looped end passed under the upper bar of the swinging member to thereby draw the swinging member into such cramping, gripping or pinching relation as force is applied in use and permit the easy adjustment of the device on the strap by releasing the hold of the swinging member.

2. A self-locking slide loop, comprising a loop having a cross bar at its top and substantially parallel adjacent bars, and a swinging member having an upper bar arranged outside of the loop, side portions, inturned bottom portions, and downturned members extending inwardly towards the center of the loop and pivotally mounted onsaid adjacent bars.

3. A self-locking slide loop, comprising a loop having a cross bar at its upper end and substantially parallel adjacent bars, and a swinging member having an upper bar outside of the loop, side portions, inturned bottom portions, and downturned members extending inwardly towards the center of the loop and pivotally mounted on said adjacent bars, said pivotal portions projecting from one side of the loop to-the other through the space between the upper bar and said adjacent bars of the loop.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of June, A. D. 1927.

PAUL E. FENTON. 

